Unethical – At What Point?

Ethics is particularly important in public service. As a Planning Commissioner, you have been given significant authority and you are expected to use that authority with integrity. If the Planning Commission is to do its job properly and address the challenges confronting most communities, public trust and confidence is vital. High ethical standards are required to secure and maintain public trust that is essential to the planning process and to good government.https://txplanningguide-ojs-utexas.tdl.org/txplanningguide/index.php/tpg/index

In Texas: Owing delinquent property taxes disqualifies a person from serving on the County Appraisal District (CAD) board of directors.

Few voluntary non-elected appointments have the kind of authority granted a planning commissioner. Fewer still have the ability to affect the future of a community to such a great extent

In California maybe things are different as there is a small town where a Planning Commissioner is delinquent on the property taxes for every parcel they own in town and numerous others in the County they live in. The delinquencies also affects a parcel tax which is used to support the town’s few parks which councilmembers fawn over.

When recently brought to the attention of this towns city council members, they were quick to make excuse about why this is happening. The planning commissioner in question has a serious medical issue.

The question then becomes are these delinquencies a recent event due to this medical issue or is there a history of this type of behavior.
The answer is, there is a history. Property tax records show delinquencies on the books dating back to 2007.

This person also has a history of not completing legally required task like properly dissolving a domestic nonprofit corporation, for which this person is listed as the Agent of Service, this corporation has languished for more than two and a half decades and is currently listed as Franchise Tax Board/Secretary of State Suspended on the Secretary of State’s website.

The final question to be asked is should this person with a history of ignoring property tax law and not owning up to other legal responsibilities be allowed to continue as a planning commissioner setting the direction of growth for that city.